Drive rental car, or take the train? From Paris to Belgium, Netherlands, Luxembourg

Train. You can a direct TGV from Paris to Luxembourg for between 70 and 78 euro for 2 most days in January. It takes a little more than 2 hours. It is at least 4 hours by car. Luxembourg to Brussels is 3 hours by hourly IC train. Brussels, Bruges, Haarlem, Delft, Amsterdam is the most densely populated part of Europe with "traffic from hell" and difficult parking. There is frequent train service in the region.
I know the recent terrorist incident is on people's minds, but statistically, you are much more likely to get killed in an accident on a European motorway than run into one of those terrorist dudes on a train.

I wouldn't hesitate: both practicality and security point to the train.
I'm living here, and I haven't spend one thought on my personal safety with taking the train, which I do a couple of times a week. But if you don't feel comfortable with the idea, you should rent a car.

I agree with Sam. Driving can be stressful, particularly getting into and out of cities. The train is easy and relaxing. It does require some planning ahead. I'm fine with that, but you might not be.

IMO, the only reason to rent a car is when you want to go somewhere not well served by public transit. Trains in Europe are just so much more convenient and comfortable to use. You look like you are hitting the major cities so a car would be a pain in the butt to find parking and avoiding TL zones that result in traffic tickets. Stick to the trains.

I agree with everyone else here that a car will be less convenient then taking the train. All the towns you mention are well-connected with transit and most of the hotels Rick recommends generally don't include accommodation for parking. There will be reasonably-priced parking available, but sometimes a 5-10 minute walk away. Even though you need reservations for the long-distance trains, you can often make them right up to the time of departure. It will just be more expensive tickets if you don't buy those reservations in advance.

That being said, I really enjoy driving and would recommend it as part of a European experience. It can be part of the adventure and experience if you prepare in advance for the different rules (no right on red, speed cams, safety/sobriety checkpoints, priority roads, one-lane roads, toll systems, there are more). Some people really don't like driving, but I do. Just like Sam said, it's a great way to get to places less-served by transit. I wouldn't worry too much about snow unless you find driving in the snow here at home stressful (walking on unsalted sidewalks without yaktrax is another story).

I especially enjoy the way that many European drivers keep right on the freeways and the distances you can drive without any stop signs or traffic lights. I also agree that the flexibility to drive when you want, where you want, can be nice. Also you get to drive a stick shift, which is a novelty for me anyway. My personal favorite is figuring out the gas stations, diesel or diesel extra, how much is this costing, litres/€ to gallons/$ . . . I think you double it and add $32? One time I had to put air in my tires and that's different over there too.

I wouldn't choose a rental car for this trip, but if you do, read up as much as you can and enjoy the ride.

thanks for everyone's insight, it really is helpful. Each of the points made are valid and helpful. We did a tour of Europe about 8 years ago in a campervan. It was a unique way to see Europe. Parking was difficult if we were just stopping in the city, for rest of time we parked the campervan at campsite and then took public transit or walked. Was envisioning just finding a public garage or space out of town and parking for the day.

The train seems like it would be a unique experience in itself, and less stressful. Points made that each of our stops our on a route, so should be set. Looks like I have some talking over to do before our decision, but sounds like train is in the lead at this point.

However good or bad a driver you are, you're more likely to be killed in a car crash than shot or blown up by a terrorist on a train.

Use the trains with Philip's no frills assessment in mind.

Cars work out better when you visit sights that aren't well-served by public transportation, want to make regular intermediate stops between cities, or have trouble matching your travel schedule to available service times. The car lets you come and go on your own schedule.

Trains work out better when you are traveling from city center to city center with no stops in between. The train will bypass street traffic, drop you right in the old center (most likely where you want to visit), and eliminate the need to find parking.

Because I've commuted by car so much for work one of my requirements for a vacation is to not have to drive. Except for Luxembourg I have made the train trips you've described a few times and I've always found it to be a great way to travel. Security has never been an issue. It's been a common sight for many years to see armed police in tactical gear and assault rifles at many public sites including train stations, and government buildings like Parliament. I've always traveled with a semi-set itinerary so I make reservations in advance for a set time. Paris to Amsterdam or Brussels would need a reservation. For Brussels to Brugge you just buy a ticket at the station. I like the train. I always meet interesting people, it's a relaxed way to travel, and I can steal a nap if I want.

I would just note that during this period, traveling by train is particularly advisable especially if traveling FROM Belgium INTO France. Since France has reinstated border checks under the current state of emergency (established for three months through late February), road crossings from Belgium into France are taking FOREVER.

I had friends who made a trip from Belgium back into France yesterday - a trip that usually takes 2 1/2 hours took more than 6. Things are not normal now.

I hope you have a few weeks set aside for this excursion.

Certainly in Belgium, and I know between Amserdam and den Haag, trains are fast, cheap, and frequent. Because you have NAMED cities, I assume you are not going to off-the-grid sights like Ieper battlefields or the new dike project in the Netherlands. It cannot be overestimated how easy it is to sleep in Amsterdam and go to those cities, or sleep in Antwerp or Brussels, and go to Bruges, Ghent, Lier, or whatever for the day. The cities you name are not ambitious choices (not slamming you, just reinforcing the preceding comment ... ) In fact there are other lovely places like Amersfoort, Alkmaar, Leiden, and more. Even pastoral places like the historic buildings parks (I mean like Bokrijk Belgium) are well served by public transportation.

In fairness, your trip calls for a lot of research. For example, you need to learn that all Belgian cities use the same bus and tram card, EXCEPT Brussels.

Your worst problem will be buying train tickets without the locally accepted card. You may have to wait in a long line for a human, if the ticket machines don't take cash or you don't have the right bills. I have sometimes bought a Belgian shared-ten-trip train ticket for use even when it's not a "bargain", because it saves time buying tickets.

Traffic in these cities and around them is awful. Parking garages are expensive and have narrow stalls and aisles.

It would be useful if your profile showed us your home state or country, if you don't care to share the exact city.

thank you for the additional input and commentary. Each of you have really helped me put things into perspective. We have decided to take the train for this trip. We are purchasing a rail pass for this trip. This will eliminate the need for purchasing individual tickets for each of our treks. The pass provides unlimited access to the rails over the 5 day period we will be traveling. The only trips we had to secure on the pass was the high speed train from Paris to Brussels, and the from Luxembourg City back to Paris (since these are the high speed trains). The rest are local, so we have the flexibility to catch any of those trains at anytime (based on schedules of course).

thanks again for all your comments. Travel On!

Russell (N. Kentucky/Cincinnati, OH)

Russell,

Good decision! Taking the train is also what I would have recommended. Trains are faster (especially the high speed versions which travel at up to 300 km/h) and a more efficient use of valuable holiday time.

One point to mention though regarding use of a Rail Pass. These don't typically include the seat reservations which are compulsory on the high speed trains. You'll have to pay separately "out-of-pocket" for those. One other point to note is that French high speed trains limit the number of reservations available for Rail Pass holders. Once the quota for a particular train is reached, you won't be able to obtain reservations even if they have seats available. If that happens, the two options are to either book another train that has Passholder reservations available, OR buy a regular ticket and don't use your Rail Pass.

You can check the bahn.de website for each of the rail trips you're planning, to see which ones have compulsory reservations. If you're willing to commit to specific trains and departure times, you might find that it's less expensive to pre-purchase tickets online, rather than use a Rail Pass (but you'll have to do the number crunching on that).

Happy travels!